Saturday, November 29, 2014

Jackaby by William Ritter

All Abigail Rook wants is to live the life of adventure her
father instilled in her. When she leaves
Europe to come to America in 1892, she finds more than she could have imagined….

Nearly penniless and without a place to stay, Abigail sets
foot into the city of New Fiddleham hoping work is plentiful but finding
nothing except the oddest man she’s ever met.
People tell her he’s a sham, others say he has a gift, still others won’t
even say his name…Jackaby. Abigail tends
to believe what they say when her first encounter with him involves him seeing
all sorts of fairy creatures hiding within the folds of her skirt. With what little money she has, she finds a
room for the night hoping the next day will prove more fruitful.

When she wakes up, the day proves just as dismal as her entrance, with
little to no job offers available until Abigail notices an ad for an assistant
for an investigative service.
Immediately going to the address all she can hope is that the job isn’t
filled. When Abigail rings the bell of the
odd house she’s standing in front of, Jackaby appears on the other side. It's explained to her he can solve mysteries and crimes using
not only the power of deductive reasoning, but also his skills at
detecting creatures from ghosts to trolls to banshees and more. Both of them are uncertain about the other (Is
he off his rocker? Can she handle the duties involved with the job?) but a
murder of dire concern needs his utmost attention, and Abigail follows along,
hoping to impress her potential employer.

At the scene of the murder, Jackaby realizes this isn’t just
a murder, but one involving a dangerous creature others cannot detect. Clues left behind are important, but more
important are the auras Jackaby sees, leading him further down the dark and
dangerous path to find the creature who is craving new victims and the reason
behind it. Along with a young police
officer named Charlie, who hides a secret of his own, the trio begins this
supernatural investigation that could lead to their untimely demise. All isn’t what it seems and Abigail learns not
only more about Jackaby and his peculiarities, but also something about herself
as well.

This is a brilliant book that entwines
historical fiction with hints of mystery and fantasy all blended into one
amazing adventure the reader becomes a part of right from the start. The author, William Ritter, uses descriptive
language to create a dark mood and setting but has the ability to use his
main character for a slight comedic break from the dark and dangerous, creating a balance of edge-of-your-seat
action with those smiles that occur when Jackaby shows his quirks and
curiosities (for some reason I can SO see Johnny Depp playing this character :). Along with the plot, Ritter
creates a character with architecture as well, creating a mansion Jackaby
lives in that more than meets the eye and mirrors his quirks and personality. With
all of this combined, it makes for a quick read and a hope that there are other
adventures Jackaby and Abigail will share with new fans. YA readers, meet historical New England's freshest new breed of Holmes and Watson! Recommended 7-12 gradesBook pairs:Monstrumologist by Rick YanceyRipper by Stefan Petrucha